Chen An (died 323), courtesy name Huhou, was a Chinese military general and warlord of the Jin dynasty (266–420) and Han-Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. During the aftermath of the Disaster of Yongjia in northern China, Chen An became a favored general of the Jin prince Sima Bao in Qinzhou, but an assassination attempt on him made by one of Bao's subordinates in 315 prompted him to declare independence in Longcheng (隴城, in modern Qin'an County, Gansu). He submitted to the Han-Zhao state in 319 but then rebelled in 322, declaring himself the King of Liang. His reign was short-lived, as he was defeated and executed by Han-Zhao forces the following year.
Chen An was well-respected among his soldiers and those living in his territory. The people of Longshang (隴上; north of present-day Shaanxi and west of present-day Gansu) dedicated an ode in his memory, and the prestigious Tang dynasty poet Li Bai even wrote a poem based on him.
Background
Chen An was born into a peasant family in Chengji County (成紀, in modern-day Tianshui, Gansu), Tianshui Commandery. It was said that one day, while reading, he exclaimed, "The true man possesses a crown and chariot and bears the staff of authority. How can I continue to plow and hoe for long?" He soon left his hometown for the capital, Luoyang, to study more books. During this time, he read the Book of Wei and gained an admiration for the Cao Wei military general, Xu Chu, so much so that he decided to change his courtesy name to Huhou (虎侯; meaning "Tiger Marquis", one of Xu Chu's nicknames).
After the War of the Eight Princes broke out in Jin, Chen An took the opportunity to establish ties with the ruling Sima family. He soon found himself serving the Prince of Nanyang, Sima Mo in Guanzhong as the Commandant of Sima Mo's personal tent. In 311, Sima Mo came into conflict with the Inspector of Qinzhou, Pei Bao (裴苞), so he sent Chen An to attack him. Chen An defeated Pei Bao and forced him to flee to Anding Commandery.
Service under Sima Bao
However, not long after, Sima Mo was captured and killed by Han-Zhao forces in Chang'an. Chen An fled to Qinzhou and submitted to Mo's son, Sima Bao, who was serving as the provincial inspector at the time. In 315, Chen An commanded a successful campaign to suppress the rebelling Qiang tribes in Qinzhou. For his feats, Sima Bao showered him with great courtesy and respect.
Sima Bao's special treatment of Chen An was not taken well by one of Bao's officials, Zhang Chun (張春). Zhang Chun slandered Chen An to Sima Bao, claiming that he would rebel. Sima Bao was convinced by Zhang Chun's words, but he also could not bring himself to order Chen's execution. Taking matters into his own hands, Zhang Chun sent an assassin to kill Chen An, but Chen was only wounded by the assassin's blade before escaping to Longcheng. There, Chen An declared his autonomy and became a warlord. Although the two were now at odds, Chen An still respected Bao. He sent a messenger to Bao stating his promise to continuously pay tribute.
As a warlord and submission to Han-Zhao
In 316, the Jin government in Chang'an fell to Han-Zhao and Emperor Min of Jin became their captive. In early 317, Former Liang forces led by Han Pu were preparing to launch a counter-attack against Han, and Chen An involved himself to serve as a vanguard. The attack never took place, as Han Pu's forces met with difficulties in marching into Han territory.
Shortly after, Chen An allied himself with Han-Zhao. He and another minor warlord named Jiao Song (焦嵩) invaded Sima Bao's territory in Longshi together with the Han general Liu Yao. Their invasion had a devastating effect, as a large portion of the Yongzhou and Qinzhou population was wiped out. Chen An and Jiao Song carried on their assault into the following year in 318, when they were now threatening Sima Bao's capital of Shanggui.
In 319, fulfilling his imperial ambition, Sima Bao declared himself the Prince of Jin. In response, Chen An named himself Inspector of Qinzhou and formally submitted to both Han-Zhao and another state, Cheng Han. As Chen An encroached into Shanggui, Sima Bao fled to Nan'an (南安; southeast of present-day Longxi County, Gansu) but reinforcements from Former Liang pushed Chen An back to Mianzhu, so Sima Bao returned to his capital. Chen An threatened Shanggui again not long after, but once again withdrew due to Liang reinforcements.